Perfection
by LeoxRenet
Summary: Leo learns that perfection can't be rushed, yet, he learns this only after reverting back to who he really is. Leo/Renet. one-shot.


This was inspired by the first part of season 4 of TMNT 2k3, you know, when Leo turned all pissy and angry. This has been in my head for the longest time and I really wanted to get it down, so, here it is. I love Leo/Renet, so, that's a pretty prominent theme here. TMNT belongs to Viacom/Nickelodeon.

* * *

M-O-N-S-T-E-R, monster. That was what Leonardo seemed to be turning into. His once calm nature was gone, thinking before he acted seemed to be gone as well. No one said it, mainly because they were scared to set Leo off, but, he was practically leaking negativity.

So what? Karai stabbed him, he'd been stabbed before! Maybe not as deeply, and maybe not in a double-shot way...He thought that they could have had something together, something special, but, clearly, that wasn't going to happen. And why should it? He couldn't protect his family, so, why should he be expected to protect a woman?

He may as well be a monster then. That way, he wouldn't catch feelings, he didn't need a heart and he certainly wouldn't need to speak much.

Leo was going to be alone and that was that. He was set on this new dark path of solitude, though, he didn't view it as dark, he viewed it as a more enlightened view of reality. He had let himself be vulnerable and what had that gotten him? N-O-T-H-I-N-G, nothing, a nice big slice of nothing!

Now, he would simply condition himself to be a weapon. Sharp and swift like his blades, there wasn't anything more to his life now, why should there be?

However, it was apparent that Leo had turned a blind eye to what this was doing to his brothers. Sure, he'd always been some kind of a loner, even more so than Donatello, but, Leo failed to see what his new destructive behavior was doing to his relationships with his brothers.

Michelangelo, although closest to Don and Raph, he looked up to Leo the most. Mikey now saw Leo as Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) possessed by Parallax which caused him to turn evil, except, Green Lantern was eventually freed from the possession...Mikey worried that whatever had possessed Leo would cause him to be stuck like this forever.

Donatello was hit pretty hard by the sudden change in Leo. Both of them went off and did their own things, it had always been that way, always, and they respected each other in their personal endeavors because they knew how hard it was to get some peace and quiet, what with Raph and Mikey being the loud ones. 'New Leo' had Don thinking...could just one failure send _him _into a downward spiral? What about threats that could come out of nowhere? Would 'New Leo' come up with plans that called for the designing of dangerous artillery and the like? Could Don or more importantly, would he refuse to build such things?

Raphael normally never got along with Leo. And sure, he normally questioned each and every plan Leo came up with, but, that didn't mean that he didn't love his older brother! In his own way, he really did respect Leo's way of being and the fact that he took responsibility for him, Don and Mikey since before he had to. The sudden change in Leo was driving Raph up the wall. Leo wasn't Leo anymore...Where was responsible, mature and level-headed Leo? Wherever he was, Raph hoped he'd get back soon because if he didn't, Raph just might have to knock the old Leo back into whoever Leo was now.

* * *

"Come on! Come on!" Renet shook The Orb of Hindsight, hoping to find the time she was looking for, "There we go!"

She looked in the Orb and saw Leonardo, he sitting on a windowsill and he was talking to some beefed up guy with long hair. Leo's voice didn't sound the same...it sounded rougher, jaded even, trying to cover up hurt of some kind.

"What did this to you Leo?" Renet asked aloud, she then took to shaking The Orb of Hindsight again, "Show me what did this to Leo!" The Orb of Hindsight eventually complied with Renet's request and she saw it alright, "Leo...no Leo..."

"RENET!" Lord Simultaneous' voice boomed.

Renet yelped and almost dropped The Ord of Hindsight, she placed it back where it belonged, "Yeah Lord Simultaneous?"

"I have an assignment for you."

* * *

Renet's assignment was to try to get through to Leo because if he kept going on his path of anger he was on, he would indeed die. And if he were to die before his time, Don, Raph, Mikey and Master Splinter were goners! Renet would be dropping in unannounced, but, she wouldn't literally 'drop in' like she had when they first met.

Leo's eyes shot open, he had been trying to meditate, but he felt a presence behind him all of a sudden, "Who is it?"

"Hey Leo...It's me, Renet! I know its totally lame for me to show up without any notice, but, I need to talk to you and its super important 'cause like..."

"What do you want?" Leo finally looked at her, he looked pissed off, but, she knew that was a look he now wore everyday, so, it didn't phase her completely.

Renet was going to try and explain calmly what she wanted with him, and as much as she practiced this, it didn't happen, "I came to tell you that if you stay this angry at whatever it is you're angry at it's gonna kill you and you'll die before your time and then your brothers are gonna be doomed and it'll totally be your fault!"

"You're lying!"

"Leo, I'm not here to lie to you! Lord Simultaneous sent me here to try and get it through your head that you can't go on like this!"

"I can and I will! There is nothing wrong with me, I'm fine!"

"Stop it Leo! You're not fine, you've gotta..."

"I don't need your help!"

"But you need to listen to me!"

"I don't have to do anything besides train to get stronger so I can better protect my family!"

"Do you really wanna die and be the reason everything falls apart?" Renet felt a lump in her throat, " 'Cause if that's gonna be your attitude then fine! But don't come crying to me and say that I didn't warn you!"

Leo turned away from her, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to my meditating."

"You're totally different now...I don't know why I like even bothered coming...I don't think I'll get a chance to say it before you meet your doom, so, bye!" With that, Renet waved the Time Scepter and expected to return to the 79th Level of Null Time, but, she was still in the sewers and she came face to face with Master Splinter, "Uh..."

"Do not be alarmed Timestress," Master Splinter started, "I too wish to help my son."

It then hit Renet, "Oh my gosh, you're Splinter!"

Master Splinter gave a small smile but it faded, "Is my son going to die?"

"If he keeps acting like this then, yeah...it's gonna kill him. I tried to get him to listen, but, he didn't wanna believe me! I really tried, I..."

* * *

Renet was back in the 79th Level of Null Time now, Master Splinter made her feel better and he had assured her that he had something planned to get Leo back! She was tempted to look into the future and see what Master Splinter was thinking to do, but, she decided not to. Leo really got to her with calling her a liar...he made her cry even, but, that didn't change how much she wanted him to be okay. Her mind kept going back to when he'd saved her, he cut her out of the chair Savanti had tied her to and freed her! Leo was a good guy and he would be a good guy again, she just knew it!

The Timestress was planning on going to bed, but, she found that she couldn't sleep and wandered back over to the Orb of Hindsight, "Show me Leo, just one more time!"

"RENET! GET TO BED!" Lord Simultaneous knew exactly what she was doing.

That prompted The Timestress to run and finally get to bed, she'd check up on Leo when she had a chance.

* * *

Sure enough, Renet met the turtles once again! She needed help taking down Savanti once and for all! They'd done that now and were more or less trapped with the dinosaurs, but, on the bright side, Leo was back to his old self.

"Renet?" Leo sat down next to her.

"Hey Leo!" She smiled at him, "What's up?"

"I wanted to take this chance to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?"

"For when I wasn't myself...I never meant to hurt your feelings or to send you off the way that I did."

Renet put her hands on top of his, "It's okay Leo, I totally understand."

"Thanks." He smiled back at her and noticed the slight blush on her cheeks.

Both of them leaned in and were quickly interrupted before they could get significantly close.

"What'cha doin'?" Mikey now sat between Leo and Renet.

"Nothing." Leo and Renet replied in unison.

"I dunno, ya looked pretty cozy ta me." Raph walked over and was quick to join in embarrassing his older brother.

"Now Raph," Don then walked over, "I'm sure Leo is nervous enough as it is."

"Uh...I'm gonna go and walk over there...later!" Renet went off in a different direction.

Leonardo sighed, unamused by the actions of his brothers, but, he smiled none the less. It felt good to be back, he was him again, he was whole. He was okay with giving an actual relationship a try...and with Renet at that. He knew that if the time ever came, he could protect her and giving it his best was what mattered.

S-O-M-E-O-N-E, someone, Leo was someone again, he was him, he was the disciplined, clam and honorable warrior he'd grown into over the years. Maybe he couldn't kiss Renet tonight, but, that was something he could definitely work on. And perhaps he could get more than just a kiss if he worked hard enough for it, but, he'd take this one step at a time. For, P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N, perfection, can't be rushed.

* * *

So, that's the end! Oh and the 'beefed up guy with long hair' is Casey Jones and that is a reference to the 2k3 ep called Dragons Brew 'cause Leo's still super 'GRRRRR' then and he does end up sitting on Casey's window sill.

Anyway, um...what Splinter has planned is obviously sending Leo to the Ancient One and of course I had a nice happy ending where in true sibling fashion, Raph, Don and Mikey don't let Leo get kissed! Don's remark is the least annoying, but, it's the most on the money XD

Also, why is this called perfection? Because well: Leo's finally gone on to realize that perfection is imperfect and he knows that he and Renet are _very _different, yet, it can work ^^ (and it does work since I'm the author!)


End file.
